She was dying.
“Weeeoooo, weeeoooo. Potential shock coming,” the alarm sounded. “Weeeoooo, weeeoooo. Bystanders, stand back.”
After 60 seconds of no response, the defibrillator vest sent 150 joules up Murphy’s back, returning her heart to a normal rhythm and rescuing her from a sudden cardiac arrest.
“It saved my life,” Murphy said. “I thank God every day – because without that device, I wouldn’t be here.”
The ZOLL LifeVest, the first defibrillator of its kind, can detect an abnormal heartbeat and deliver a shock all on its own.
Nearly 50 residents in the Augusta area and 100,000 people worldwide depend on the LifeVest; its use has more than tripled over the past two years, according to company reports.